The second-generation Kia Telluride made its debut at the LA Auto Show Wednesday introducing a number of upgrades for the Korean brand’s already popular flagship model. Among other things, the 2027 Telluride gets a first-ever hybrid drivetrain option yielding as much as 35 mpg combined. It also is available with upgraded off-road capabilities on the X-Pro package. Headlight.News has more.
Six years after rolling out the original version of its three-row SUV, Kia is getting ready to give the Telluride a major makeover for the 2027 model year.
The second-generation flagship gets a big boost in performance – and, with the new hybrid option, delivers up to 35 mpg combined. The 2027 Kia Telluride adds more technology, including the ability to stream services like Netflix and YouTube. The SUV is larger, with more interior space and creature comforts, such as new “front relaxation seats.” And the X-Pro package gets improved off-road capabilities,
“The 2027 Telluride is a capable and sophisticated SUV that embodies our approach to bringing innovative, consumer-focused products to market,” said SeungKyu Yoon, president and CEO of Kia North America.
Whats new
The original 2020 Telluride won a variety of awards, including North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. As a result, said Yoon, “With the launch of the second-generation Telluride, our design and product planning team had an incredible challenge: Develop an all-new SUV that was its own, unique product, while encapsulating many of the elements that made the original Telluride a historic success.”
Kia’s product development team thus couldn’t leave any stones unturned. They had to look for opportunities to improve the 2027 Telluride across the board. To start with, the gen-2 crossover is larger in almost all dimensions, translating into more passenger and cargo space.
All versions of the Telluride are now turbocharged – including the new hybrid model – yielding as much as 50 lb-ft more torque.
And there are numerous new tech and creature comfort features appropriate to a vehicle that serves as th Kia flagship.
Updated exterior design
Exterior styling doesn’t stray far from the outgoing SUV, the 2027 model retaining Kia’s familiar tiger nose grille framed by vertical headlamps. Triangular creases are designed to give the body sides a sort of jeweled appearance. Aerodynamic tweaks, such as flush door handles, have been borrowed from the brand’s EVs, Telluride’s overall drag coefficient down sharply – one factor playing into improved fuel economy.
The wheelbase of the 2027 Kia Telluride has been stretched 2.7 inches, to 116.9 inches, while the overall length grows 2.3 inches, 199.2 inches. That translates into more legroom, in particular, for the second and third rows.
There’s also more cargo space: 22.3 cubic feet behind the third row and up to 86.9 cf with the second and third rows folded down. There’s also a folding luggage table that comes standard in the cargo compartment, along with a lower storage area with movable – and removable dividers.
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Interior design
The instrument panel now gently flows into the doors of the 2027 Telluride, where hidden door handles are tucked into the armrests. New materials, such as SynTex suede inserts, offer a more upscale feel.
Out of sight, Kia has taken a number of steps to reduce noise, vibration and harshness – NVH in industry speak – increasing glass thickness and switching to triple door seals.
New relaxation seats add power leg rests and a massaging function. Captain’s chairs are now available for second-row passengers. And third-row occupants now get available heated seats.
Powertrains
Two powertrain options, including a first-ever hybrid, are offered for the 2027 Telluride.
The standard engine is now turbocharged, power jumping to 274 hp and 311 lb-ft, a 49 lb-ft increase in torque over the outgoing model. Power is routed through an 8-speed automatic gearbox and buyers have a choice of front- or all-wheel drive.
Tellurides new turbo-hybrid pairs a 2.5-liter turbocharge inline-four with a pair of electric motors drawing power from a 1.65-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. It delivers a blend of power and fuel efficiency, at 329 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, 38 hp and 77 lb-ft more than in the old Telluride. Yet it also musters up to 35 mpg combined.
The hybrid uses a 6-speed automatic and is offered solely with all-wheel-drive. It also features electronic dynamic torque vectoring to improve handling in corners.
An integrated tow hitch – standard on X-Pro, optional on other trims – blends into the rear bumper. Turbo models can tow up to 5,000-pounds, the hybrid 4,500 lbs.
Telluride X-Pro
Telluride X-Pro gets 9.1 inches of ground clearance.
X-Pro models can be ordered with an electronic limited-slip differential to maintain an even 50/50 front-to-rear torque split.
The off-road package has 9.1 inches of ground clearance and offers a variety of different drive modes that can adapt vehicle functions, such as throttle response and shifts to road and weather conditions.
The X-Pro features front an rear recovery points and all-terrain tires. It also gets some useful tech features, such as a Ground View Monitor that provides a moving image of the ground in front of the vehicle at speeds up to 6 mph. The center touchscreen provides several different camera views, as well as pitch, roll and steering angle.
Technology
The 2027 Kia Telluride SXP gets twin 12.3-inch screens and a head-up display.
Telluride’s Connected Car Navigation Cockpit is available with dual 12.3-inch panoramic digital displays.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the line-up, as is a new voice assistant that can be triggered simply by saying, “Hey, Kia…” The latest Digital Key 2.0 can replace the fob with an owner’s smartphone. New streaming capabilities including Netflix and YouTube and fans can download display themes for 30 NBA basketball teams.
SXP models get features including a 12-inch head-up display and a digital rearview mirror.
Pricing and availability
The 2027 Kia Telluride is getting ready to go into production at the automaker’s assembly plant in West Point, Georgia. It will officially go on sale during the first quarter of 2026.
Kia has yet to release full trim specs, fuel economy numbers or pricing. But, based on what we’ve seen with the recently redesigned Hyundai Palisade, potential buyers should anticipate a starting price of just over $40,000, including delivery fees.
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